Carnac-Ville, France

The novel opens in France in 1821 as the Orchieres are being persecuted by the townspeople of Carnac-Ville. It's unclear how long the Orchieres have lived in the area as they congregate outside the town, in a forest, in their gypsy wagons. As the French Catholics, led by a zealous priest, search for them, Grand-mere Ursule casts a spell to hide the clan from the witch-hunting mob. Ursule dies in Carnac-Ville, but first she has a vision that the family will move to a farm on a cliff below the sea.

Marazion, Cornwall, England

The Orchieres move to Cornwall, to an abandoned homestead named Orchard Farm. This farm provides the setting for The Book of Nanette, starting in 1834, and The Book of Ursule, starting in 1847. The family, many of whom refuse to learn English, remain isolated from the rest of English society, but Nanette, the youngest Orchiere sister...